Possibility: Choking
by Mystic83
Summary: What if the prospect of dying had became all the more real after the Cylon virus tried to kill Starbuck and Apollo? What if both of them couldn’t stop dwelling on how it took both of them to stay alive? KaraLee


This will be a series of stand-alone stories which deal with the choices that the characters on Battlestar Galactica have made throughout the first half of the second season (I'll be posting in as much of the order of the season as I can). I want to explore what would have happened/changed if things had gone differently. Some of the stories will be angst, some will be shippy, some will be funny. There will be different pairings throughout. Don't feel like you have to check out each one to understand the others. All I ask is that if it intrigues you, then give it a try. Hope you enjoy reading the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

* * *

There are pivotal moments in one's life where if you take the wrong path everything may change. Those changes may be for the good or for the bad. The possibilities are endless.

* * *

Lee and Kara filed down the corridor side by side. Occasionally their arms rubbed each others lightly, but that was the only contact between them. Words seemed to not be subtle enough for the moment. They had both almost suffocated an hour earlier. It took time to process something like that. Having to go through it in great detail in front of the whole CIC didn't help, either.

When they reached the officer's quarters, Lee motioned for her to go ahead of him. Kara gave him a funny look before rolling her eyes. Sometimes Lee's chivalry got on her nerves. The hatchway closed with a loud thud behind him, and Kara found herself unconsciously scanning the bunkroom. They were alone.

"So, we almost died back there." Lee's voice echoed off the empty corners of the room.

Kara turned to see him leaning against the wall. He was trying to sound casual. "Yeah. Pretty crazy, right?"

Lee shook his head. "That's all you have to say?"

So much for casual, Kara thought, laughing quietly to herself. "What else is there? Our ship felt the need to rebel against us and to do it in time to ruin one of the best target practices of your life. We would have died if that glass pane in the hatch hadn't shot out." Kara shook her head and turned to open her locker. She would kill for a good, long shower right now. Too bad there was no such thing on Galactica. "Life is tough these days, Lee. Death is waiting for us around every corner. This was just a very special corner we found ourselves in."

"Very poetic, Kara. How's distancing yourself working out for you?"

"It's what keeps me sane, so frak you," she muttered. The bunkroom echoed with silence so she figured Lee had gotten the point. She turned her attention back to her locker in order to figure out what happened to her last few clean tanks. It kept her mind off things better left unsaid.

Kara didn't want to talk about the sense of panic she had while her laughter shot out of control. It played like slow motion in her head. She was on the ground laughing as Lee tried to pop the hatch door with his shoulder. She could see Hot Dog's face slowly turn blue at the very moment she realized this wasn't supposed to be funny. She felt her limbs growing heavy as the air slowly choked out her breath. The memories were too much to handle.

Kara jumped as Lee's hand rested on top of hers and forced the locker door shut. When his hand lingered, she turned to face him. "Is there something you want to say?"

"You don't have to pretend to be brave Starbuck with me, Kara."

His words struck a chord within her, but she knew better than to let that show. The last time she let someone in past her facades, he had died. She wasn't going to be responsible for that again. "Maybe you're upset by this whole thing, but it really is just another day for me."

Lee nodded slowly as her words hit home.

Kara expected him to drop her hand when he realized she wasn't going to stand here rehashing what had happened to them. Her casual tones of indifference had always caused pushed him away in the past. That was why she was so surprised when he chose to keep his grip on her.

Lee pulled her over to sit on her bunk without much of a fight. As soon as their backs rested against the cool metal wall, his thumb began to move on her palm in gentle, rhythmic circles, and he let out a deep sigh. "You know, there's something about what happened that keeps bugging me."

"Other than the fact that our rusted-out home almost killed us?"

Lee smirked. "Yeah, other than that."

Silence drifted between them as they both stared into space. Kara found herself wondering why he hadn't pulled away from her. They always pulled away from each other when things got too heavy.

In an unconscious response, Lee turned Kara's hand over to link her fingers in with his. "It was like we were perfect complements in there, Kara," he whispered after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"You and I both know what happened. The oxygen got sucked out of that room so fast there really wasn't much we could have done to get out."

"That wasn't going to stop us from trying," she pointed out.

"That was the odd part. I wanted to figure out a way to break that door, but it was like my mind shut down. I couldn't think of one way to get it open that didn't involve me forcing it open."

"Good thing I had the common sense to load that gun. Otherwise you might have beat yourself to death against that hatch door."

"Yeah, that was the funny thing. You had the idea, but your execution was a little weak."

"Are you blaming me, Lee? It's not like I chose to keep laughing while you tried to push the door open like a big meathead."

"It wasn't my point to accuse you. I know it was the oxygen deprivation making you laugh."

"What was your point then?" Kara asked.

"Your body gave out on you. You had the plan in your head, but you needed my hand to hold the gun straight."

"And I appreciate that you were there for me."

Lee's lips turned up in a small smile. It took a lot for Kara to admit that she needed someone to help her, let alone to get her to say she appreciated the assistance. If he still didn't have a point to make, he would be basking right about now. "My mind gave out on me, but my body was still there. Your body gave out on you, but your mind was still there."

Kara's face lit up as the connection was made. "Perfect compliments?"

"Perfect compliments."

"We always kind of worked that way," Kara pointed out. She looked at Lee out of the corners of her eyes. "Do you think that says something about us?"

Lee turned to face her, and she had the feeling he was about to do something stupid. They had been at this point too many times to count. Sometimes Kara thought it was she who would do something stupid, and sometimes, like the one happening right now, that responsibility was on Lee's shoulders alone. It had been happening to them every few days or so like clockwork ever since Colonial Day. There was only one thing different this time.

Kara wasn't going to stop him.

So much for pretending like that little brush with death had no impact.

His lips were dangerously close to hers when the call echoed through the halls. "Dradis contact. Action stations, please."

The high pitch whine of the sirens was the only thing that kept both Kara and Lee from groaning. Their hands drifted apart as they both stood and began to race to their Vipers.

Kara pulled down the top half of her flight suit as she finally came off her turn at CAP. It figured that when the ship went haywire, Lee would stick her in the cockpit. She was probably the only one who could handle it if her Viper decided to try to take the controls.

She wiped the sweat off her brow as the image of the lukewarm shower in her near future made a pang of desire hit the pit of her stomach. It had been all she dreamed about during the most boring shift she had ever experienced. She knew that things were happening on Galactica while she was off ship, and it killed her not to be a part of it.

Kara buckled down and was about to start running to the head and her well-deserved shower when laughter and applause exploded from the hatchway she was about to pass. She was surprised to realize it was the gym. "What the frak," she muttered as she stepped into the back of the crowded room.

She couldn't help but smile as she heard Lee's voice over the crowd. He was giving them instruction in self-defense. How charming. The CAG had a hobby.

"Let's bring a live opponent into the mix."

The first few minutes, Kara found herself enthralled with watching Lee. She didn't get to see him like this that often. Usually she was forced to focus either on fighting by his side or keeping his fists from making contact with her face. It was like she had made a permanent commitment to be either his partner or his opponent and nothing in between.

Since she was a small girl, Kara had found her mind unable to settle on one thing. She had been through too much, taken too many risks, hurt too many people to be able to have the type of concentration that let you cut yourself off from everything around you. Most nights, she had trouble sleeping. She just couldn't stop her thoughts.

Watching Lee as he circled Dualla, her thoughts slipped away. For the first time in a long while, she felt soothed.

Dee made her move on the CAG, and Kara had to fight back a laugh. Lee could have blocked that move a mile away. In fact, he should have just to prove to the communications officer how much she was telegraphing her moves. Then again, pointing out her faults wouldn't have ended with Dee lying flush against his body on the gym floor. Kara shook her head. She never knew Lee was so sex-starved that he would start to use his superior position to get a little action.

"I can't believe you guys are taking lessons from someone who can't even block a simple right hook," Kara taunted as she pushed her way through the crowd.

She could see Lee smile even though he didn't move out from under Dee.

"Your right hook is a thing of beauty. It would be a crime to let it go to waste," one of the specialists lining the back wall pointed out.

"Tell that to my face," Lee joked. He gave Dee a smile before slipping out from underneath her and getting to his feet. "Lesson's not over, Petty Officer."

Dee's eyes shifted to Kara. "But it's on pause?"

"The lady over there has insulted my manhood." Kara raised her eyebrow, making Lee think twice about his word selection. He couldn't go back now, though. "Something must be done before she slowly sucks the life out of me with her lies."

Kara smirked at him as she pulled off her boots. Dreams of a shower were far from her mind. One of the nuggets tossed her a pair of sweatpants, earning himself a rare smile from his flight instructor. "I do love it when you let me make an example of you, sir."

"Like MacDonald said, your right hook is a thing of beauty. Perhaps I _chose _not to block it." Lee shrugged. "Either way, I think it's time you found out just how far your luck can go."

"Brave words, Adama." Kara pushed her flight suit to the floor and stepped out of it. Her tanks and skivvies were matted down with sweat, and Lee did his best to keep focus on her face. Kara took her time putting on the sweatpants. If Lee was sex-starved, she was going to use that to her advantage. As much as she teased, he had been the amazing in hand-to-hand combat since his days at Academy. This should be fun.

There was an unspoken agreement between them. There would be no holding back on this one. Yes, the people around them needed to be shown how a real attack goes, but it was more than that. Lee and Kara both desperately needed some sort of release. The brush with death in the firing range was still fresh in both of their minds, not to mention their brush with intimacy in the bunkroom.

Kara decided not to play around and, after dancing around for a few seconds, threw that infamous right hook straight at Lee's jaw. To her surprise, he sidestepped with ease. Her face lit up with surprise. Had Lee been telling the truth before about always _choosing_ not to block her blows?

She didn't have time to ask. Lee's left elbow connected with the back of her head, sending her flying into a line of onlookers. She roughly pushed away from the CIC officer who had taken it upon himself to catch her. "Watch those hands if you don't want to be what I use to mop up the CAG's blood when I'm done," she growled.

Kara didn't even look behind her to see where Lee was. She knew him too well to have to rely on her eyes to see the next move coming. Besides, Lee had always been nothing but predictable. Testing the air around her for a moment, she took a deep breath before letting out what could only be called a war cry as she launched herself at him.

Each blow was blocked as the two pilots cut across the length of the gym. Every movement was taken into account. Every small shift in balance was interpreted as a forthcoming attack. Kara could feel herself slipping into Lee's thought patterns as he did the same. They moved at twice the speed of what Lee had been teaching at. Taking all of that into account, it was amazing to everyone, including themselves, that they had each only connected a handful of times.

As Kara stepped around the punching bag hanging in front of her, she watched Lee lick his lips in anticipation of her next offensive before sending her a small smile. Yeah, they needed this all right.

Her kick took him by surprise, and Lee went flying across the gym. She waited for him to get to his feet before shrugging. "Guess my kick is just as bad as my right hook."

"The one you haven't been able to land yet?"

She let herself laugh at his obvious taunt before she realized what a mistake she had made. His arms enveloped her waist as he tackled her. She felt the air leave her lungs as their bodies connected with the ground, and her mind flashed back to hours earlier when she had struggled for air so bravely. She flinched from the memory, and she could feel Lee's grip on her loosen for a second. Then, she felt him move to keep fighting and silently thanked him. He wasn't going to let her go to that dark place right now.

It was a dirty move, but Kara could help but bite down on his shoulder as he moved to pin her arms.

"Frak, Kara," he hissed, rolling off of her. His hands came up to feel the teeth marks embedded into his skin. It was going to leave a rather noticeable mark, Kara realized with pride. The smile didn't fade off her face as she pushed him away. They weren't done with this fight.

Both pilots were so focused on the next move to be made that they didn't notice the pilots and flight crew slowly filtering out of the room. At some point, this fight had turned from simple teaching exercise into something intensely personal. They all knew better than to stick around after that line had been crossed.

Kara threw a half-hearted blow at his midsection and was rewarded with Lee reaching out to smack her across the face. The sting filtered down through her body, and for that, she was grateful. The pain kept her focus up. His fist connected with the back of her knee, sending her off balance. She couldn't help but smile. His positioning had left him free to throw a nasty blow to her right knee, but he had pushed himself off-balance in order to make contact with the other one. Even when Lee was in the middle of a no-holds-barred type fight, he still remembered her old pyramid injury.

That thought comforted her for two seconds until he booted her into the wall. Her hands weakened the impact as her cheek met cold metal. She felt something rip from her hair, and her mouth dropped open in shock as she turned to see Lee holding her ponytail band in his hand. "Ow,' she hissed. "Was that necessary?"

"It was distracting me," he smirked.

For a second she was about to ask him how a ponytail could be distracting. Then it hit her, and her face turned up into a smile. He was actually turned on by something as simple as a hairstyle. She found that extremely interesting. "I see."

Lee tossed the little piece of elastic to the ground and braced himself as Kara launched at him for a second time. The only difference was now there was a playful tone behind each move she made. The brutality of her movements had worn off as she understood just how distracted he was. Her fist still forcefully connected with his jaw, and Lee could taste blood on his lips. He shook off the pain and started in on their dance once more.

Kara could feel herself begin to breathe heavily as the sweat dripped down her body. She felt as if this whole thing was a prelude to something, and no matter how hard she fought it, the comparison to foreplay wouldn't leave her mind.

Lee caught her right hand mid-punch and trapped it against her body. Her left hand was soon to follow, and she felt herself being pushed up against the wall again. His body ran flush against hers. Kara could feel his heart beating in tune to hers. His breath brushed across her cheek as they both fought to regain some semblance of control.

Even though she knew better, she licked her lips slowly and sent him a seductive smile. "Are you like this with all the girls you fight?"

He pulled back a few inches and shook his head. "Only with the ones that are worth it."

This time, Kara had to fight to keep herself from doing something stupid. She could see Lee struggling to say whatever he had been meaning to in the bunkroom earlier that day. It was almost too much. He was fighting his words along with the urge not to stare at her lips, which were only centimeters from his. She had to struggle to keep from giggling.

"Apollo?" Lieutenant Gaeta's voice snapped them both out of the bubble they had created. They sprung apart like two guilty children. "Sir, the Commander wants to see you. There's been a break-through with the problems we've been having."

Lee chanced one last glance at where Kara still leaned against the wall before motioning for Gaeta to continue as they made their way to the CIC.

When the two men had dropped out of sight, Kara let herself slid to the floor in a heap. She had forgotten how exhilarating it could be to make Lee Adama lose control.

Fighting took up every minute as soon as Galactica knew what was wrong with her. Between working on the Blackbird and figuring out ways to combat the virus plaguing them all, Kara and Lee had barely a second to breathe. Their one moment of free time was spent exchanging insults when Lee criticized the amount of time Kara spent with the Blackbird. She should have known he wouldn't understand it wasn't about building a ship.

Then the Cylons showed up and it was too late for her to try to explain it to him.

They went up in their Vipers side by side, just as it should be. For those few rare moments, Kara felt unrestricted joy at being able to share this with Lee. She had never dreamed that the end of the world could have given her so much.

True to her luck, there was no danger in the mission they were flying, and that was why Starbuck found herself in the direct path of a flaming hunk of Cylon Raider. Her luck was downright crappy when it came to non-threatening missions. Before she could even react, the metal was exploding right in front of her Viper. Lee threw a comment past her as he buzzed her craft in order to make sure she was okay. She was only too glad to tell him she was slightly jolted and unharmed.

When the squadrons landed back on Galactica, there was a gurney waiting to take her to sickbay. The Commander wasn't taking any chances with his pilots these days. There were already too few of them.

Kara had reluctantly planted herself on the stretcher and as her ride took her out of the hangar bay, her eyes locked with Lee's as he hopped down from his cockpit.

They were never going to finish whatever they had started earlier. A voice in the back of her head told her that maybe that was for the best.

Cottle was quick to tell her that she really had nothing wrong with her except for cuts and bruises. He was going to keep her in sickbay overnight just to make sure she hadn't wrenched something in her knee. If it was going to bruise or swell, it would do so by the morning. Then, with a knowing look, the Doc had walked away.

Kara sighed and pulled herself out of her flight suit, preparing for a long night of sitting on her ass.

Her eyes strained to focus as Kara felt herself waking up. She made out the monitors above her head that ran parallel to the steady beeping in her ears. "Just another morning in sickbay," she grumbled.

Turning to her side, her eyes focused on the stand next to the bed for a few seconds before she realized there was something on it that hadn't been there when she went to sleep. Pulling herself up, she reached out to run her fingers along the cover of the book. She didn't know how it had gotten here, but she could already feel the tears pooling her in her eyes. _Artemis _had been her favorite all through childhood. She had moved from base to base across the Twelve Colonies, and yet she always had this book to rely on. There were many times that she hid from her mother in the closet with just a flashlight and this book.

She had a good idea who had put it there, too. Only the people who had known her before her assignment to Galactica knew her as more than the brash Starbuck. No one knew about the little girl named Kara Thrace who had brought herself back from the same dark place time and time again. No one except for a overprotective military commander and his frakheads of a son.

"A certain young CAG left that for you while you were sleeping," Layne Ishay confirmed as she walked into the partition to check Kara's vitals. "He was rather disappointed to find you sleeping. He said he had been trying to tell you something for days now."

Kara nodded. "Did he say anything about leaving the book?"

"He asked me to take a picture of your smile when you saw it if he wasn't around. It seemed he had a rather tough time finding that thing, but he thought it would all be worth it in the end. I thought he was crazy. Our Starbuck smiling over a book?" Ishay shook our head. "He was right, though." She finished writing in the chart and then gave Kara a small nod. "I'll leave you alone with your present, Lieutenant Thrace."

"Thank you," Kara whispered. Now that she was by herself, she reached out to grasp the book in her hand. Her fingertips ran over the smooth leather cover. This wasn't just any copy. Somehow Lee had found a first edition of a book that was twice her age. Sighing, she flipped it open and realized there was something written in Lee's tight scrawl inside the front cover.

"_Sometimes the last person on earth you want to be with is the one person you can't be without."_

Kara shut the book and pulled it to her heart. She closed her eyes and let her mind rest on how simple things could truly be when you just let go of the need for complication. His words made her smile. They had been fighting this thing pretty hard, hadn't they?

There was the sound of movement beside her bed, and her eyes opened slowly to rest on Lee. His gaze drifted down to the book resting on her chest and then back up to try and interpret the look on her face. He was nervous.

He had no reason to be.

A smile played at the corners of her mouth. She had no reason to be nervous, either.


End file.
